Methanol for

Gasoline Blending
from

Petroleum Coke
David Netzer
&
Chris Wallsgrove
(Speaker)

MeOH

The Premise

Upgrading Heavy Oil Normally Produces

Petroleum Coke (Petcoke)
Petcoke is Often Sold as Low-Cost Fuel

Petcoke Can be Gasified to Syngas (Proven

Technology)
Methanol (MeOH) is Produced from Syngas
MeOH Can be Blended with Gasoline
7% to 10% Blend of MeOH in Gasoline Can
Fuel Existing Cars (Proven Technology)

Other Methanol Uses

Methanol to Gasoline (MTG) but WHY? If
We Can Use Methanol AS Gasoline
Methanol to DME Diesel and/or LPG
Subtitute
Methanol to Propylene (MTP) or Ethylene
(MTO) Compete with Steam Crackers?

Methanol to Acetic Acid & Derivatives

Limited Market
Methanol to Formaldehyde & Derivatives
Same

Process Units

Gasification To Produce Raw Syngas

Shift With Control of CO/H2 Ratio

Air Separation (ASU) To Produce Oxygen

for the Gasification
Rectisol Remove H2S/COS and Recover CO2
Methanol Synthesis Makes 50,000 BPSD

Methanol Purification (Distillation)

Units to Recover H2 and Sulfur

Process Units Selection

Quench Gasifiers Operate at High Pressure

to Avoid Syngas Compression
Unconverted Carbon to Boilers
Gas Cooling Produces Steam
Rectisol (Two Trains) Uses Methanol Solvent
Two Methanol Synthesis Reactors (Large,
Heavy Vessels) in Parallel
Conventional PSA for H2 Recovery, and ClausType Sulfur Units

Petcoke
7,400 tpd

Air
Air
Separation
Nitrogen

CO2
130 bar
11,700 tpd

CO2
Compression

Oxygen 6,600 tpd

Coke Preparation
And Slurrying

Water,
Fluxing Agent

Steam &
Power
Systems

CO2

Gasification
87 bar

Unconverted
Carbon

Shift & Gas

Cooling

Tail Gas

SynGas

Acid Gases

Steam EHP, HP,

MP, LP

Steam HP, LP

Rectisol
Units

Sulfur
Plants

Methanol
Synthsis
78 bar

Purge Gas

Hydrogen
Product
16 MMscfd

Methanol
6,400 tpd

Sulfur
Product
PSA Hydrogen
Recovery

Reactor Purge Gas

Methanol
Purification
50,000
bpsd

Block Flow Diagram Petcoke to Methanol

Energy Systems

Totally Self-Sufficient in Steam and Power

Fluidized Bed Boilers, for Petcoke and Coal
Plus Unconverted Carbon from Gasification
MP Steam Superheating in a Fired Heater,
Using PSA Purge Gas as Fuel
Steam Driven ASU Compressors 63 MW

Balance of Steam to a Generator Excess

Power Exported (About 80 MW Export)
All Other Drivers Electric

130 Bar Steam

From Shift
DeNOx

Econo

Air PreHeat

Lime
Scrub

SRU Tail Gas

PSA Purge Gas

125 bar Steam

125 bar Steam

To ASU Drivers

MeOH Bottoms
Unconverted
Carbon
Petcoke
Limestone
Coal
(& Biomass)
Spent Gypsum

3 x 55%
Fluidized
Bed
Boilers

Turbine

25 bar

Generator

3.5 bar Steam

From Process

D/A
PSA Purge Gas
~80%
27 bar Steam
From Process

Steam & Energy Block Diagram Petcoke to Methanol

Capital Cost Savings

Quench Gasification vrs High Efficiency with

130 Bar Steam Saves ~$200 Million

320 MW Fluidized Bed Boilers vrs IGCC

Saves ~$450 Million
67% CO2 Capture vrs 95% (Shift + H2 Power
Cycle + Parasitic Mw) - Saves ~$250 Million
Avoid 25 MW Methanol Synthesis
Compressor Saves ~$50 Million

Other Miscellaneous Rational Savings ~$135

Million

Carbon Dioxide Disposal

If Underground Sequestration, Costs $$$

If Sold for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), is
Revenue $
In Either Case, CO2 Must Be Compressed
to At Least ~125 Bar
Modest (67%) CO2 Recovery
Mine-To-Wheel CO2 Release is ~Equal to
Ethanol Blend

Methanol in Gasoline

7% to 10% Blends Equivalent to Current

Ethanol Blends RVP Increase Manageable
Methanol is Biodegradable - Half-Life in the
Environment is ~24 Hours
M-10 (10% Methanol) and Higher in Current
Use in China

Toxicity Gasoline is Toxic. Adding 10%

Methanol Does Not Change That!
Current E-10 Blend Infrastructure is Already
In-Place

Methanol in Spark-Ignition Engines

Modern Engines Designed for E-10 Fuel

ECU/Fuel Injection Makes CLEAN Engines

Higher Octane but Lower Energy Content
Then

Now

NO CHANGES REQUIRED

Costs?

Estimated Total Capital Cost US $2.8 Billion

Makes 50,000 BPSD (Replacing Imported Oil)
From Carbon Resource ALREADY Existing
Methanol Production Cost is ~$0.50 per US Gal
IF CO2 is Sold for EOR

Methanol Production Cost is ~$0.88 per US Gal

if CO2 is NOT Sold for EOR

Lower Cost Than Ethanol OR Gasoline
No Additional Vehicle OR Infrastructure Costs

Conclusions

No Obvious Renewability or Greenhouse

Advantage of EtOH over MeOH
No Obvious Safety or Toxicity or Hazard
Advantage of EtOH over MeOH
Obvious Economic Advantage of Methanol Over
Ethanol

No Additional Vehicle OR Infrastructure Costs

No Vehicle Performance Issues

We Had Valuable Help From:

Air Liquide/Lurgi Frankfurt, Germany

Linde Munich, Germany

Haldor Topsoe Houston, TX
HDR Inc., Ann Arbor, MI

Methanol Institute Washington DC and

Singapore
Don Koza, Marshal (Bud) Bell, John Lehman,
Dennis Dembicki, Michael Murphy & Others
Who Wish to Remain Anonymous

Contact Information
Chris Wallsgrove

David Netzer

Brinderson Engineers & Constructors

Consultant

Costa Mesa, CA

Houston, TX

chris@wallsgrove.com

netzerd@sbcglobal.net

(713) 240 8633

(832) 251 1271

Thanks to Pennwell Publishing, for publishing

a synopsis of this paper in two parts,
June and July 2011 Oil & Gas Journal

THE END
Mercifully